Swettenham’s new recruit was a 2.4 million guineas Tattersalls yearling – has proved a high class performer, winning a G2 over 1400 m as a juvenile, adding G2 and G3 victories at three, and concluding his career with another G2 win and an all important G1 triumph over 1600 m in the Prix Jacques de Marois as a four-year-old.
With a highly commercial and contemporary pedigree, the key individuals and families identified in Diego Velazquez’s lineage are accompanied by recommended sires (shown in BOLD), whose presence in mares’ pedigrees can complement or reinforce these lines.
He is a tail male grandson of Galileo, whose dam Urban Sea is also dam of SEA THE STARS. Put to Diego Velazquez, Sea the Stars mares create a desirable 4m x 3m cross to Urban Sea. Frankel has produced three Group winners (incl two G1)* out of Sea The Star daughters.
Diego Velazquez carries a daughter of Danehill (damsire of Frankel), which immediately flags that mares from the DANEHILL sire line will create a highly desirable sex balanced cross. His sire Frankel over mares carrying sons of Danehill has a 13% stakes winners to runners ratio*.
While the DANEHILL damsire line is certainly a potential winner for Diego Velazquez, mares carrying his son DANSILI are particularly appealing. is present in eleven of Frankel’s stakes winners including 3-time G1 winner Minnie Hawk, for an amazing 26.19% stakes winners to runners*. Dansili can be sourced via daughters of ZACINTO, DANDINO and ZOFFANY (Ire), the latter being from the same tail female line as Diego Velazquez, both tracing to GALAXIE DUST, creating some valuable line breeding.
Diego Velazquez carries Danehill and a total of five lines to Northern Dancer, all tracing to ALMAHMOUD. Another family member to seek is HALO. He can be found via daughters / granddaughters of MORE THAN READY (and sons BETTER THAN READY, BENICIO, PERFECTLY READY, PLUCK, SEBRING), DON’T SAY HALO and DUBLEO.
SUNDAY SILENCE is also a son of Halo with descendant daughters in Australasia. They include those by DEEP IMPACT (sons SAXON WARRIOR, MIKKI ISLE, STAPHANOS, REAL IMPACT, SATONO ALADDIN etc), ADMIRE MARS, FUJI KISEKI, ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, KEEP THE FAITH, HEART’S CRY, TOSEN PHANTOM (and son BRAVE SMASH), TAYASU TSUYOSHI and ZENNO ROB ROY.
MACHIAVELLIAN is not only another ALMAHMOUD family member, but he is also out of a daughter of Halo, giving him two presences from this line. His male descendants include STREET CRY (sire of STREET BOSS, PER INCANTO, PRIDE OF DUBAI, SHOCKING and STREET SENSE), HALLOWED CROWN and VETTORI, all of whose daughters should mate very well with Diego Velazquez. Machiavellian is also damsire of SHAMARDAL, making him and daughters of his sons BLUE POINT, GHIBELLINES, EARTHLIGHT, LOPE DE VEGA, LUCKY VEGA and PUISSANCE DE LUNE valuable.
Supporting this strategy for Diego Velazquez, STREET CRY and SHAMARDAL mares have both produced multiple G1 winners by Frankel.
Other ALMAHMOUD family members to seek in mares’ pedigrees are ACE HIGH, AL SAMER, WAY OF LIGHT, EXIT TO NOWHERE, SUPIDO, EL MOXIE, YOUTHFUL LEGS, DIATRIBE, ESPERERO, L’EMIGRANT, CANNONADE and ARCTIC TERN.
Diego Velazquez carries GOODY TWO SHOES family members Sadler’s Wells, Lorenzaccio and Val De Loir. Other members of this family which would enhance this line are FAIRY KING, NUREYEV, NORTHERN METEOR, PERUGINO (and son TESTA ROSSA), TATE GALLERY, GEIGER COUNTER, YEATS, INFLATE, THATCHING, THATCH, TOPSIDER, FESTIVAL HALL and OPEN DAY.
Sadler’s Wells’ brother Fairy King (see above) is second damsire of Frankel’s G1 winner and sire, Triple Time. Fairy King is best known as sire of ENCOSTA DE LAGO in Australia and can also be sourced via sons FALBRAV, SHINKO KING and HELISSIO in mare descendants.
Encosta De Lago can be sourced via sons such as RUBICK, MANHATTAN RAIN, NEEDS FURTHER. His son NORTHERN METEOR will be an important factor in mares as, like his grandsire Fairy King, he is also a GOODY TWO SHOES family member. Daughters of Northern Meteor’s best sire son ZOUSTAR are particularly appealing, as he sex balances Danehill by providing son Redoute’s Choice. DEEP FIELD and SHOOTING TO WIN are other descendants to seek in mares for Diego Velazquez. COSMIC FORCE offers a son of Danehill and also sex balances Rainbow Quest, Green Dancer and Blushing Groom for Diego Velazquez.
Royal Applause, maternal grandsire of Diego Velazquez, appears in the pedigree of ALABAMA EXPRESS as sire of his second dam. This creates a 4m x 5f duplication of this ancestor. He also creates a sex balanced Danehill duplication, offers Fairy King to complement his brother Sadler’s Wells and reinforces Rainbow Quest.
Another damsire to offer a daughter of Royal Applause is BLUE POINT. Additionally, he is by Shamardal, who has a great record with Frankel.
Diego Velazquez’s second damsire Suave Dancer is from the KHARA family as are DANCER’S IMAGE, NORTHFIELDS, HABITAT, SEIGNORIAL and NINE CARAT, who are all useful ancestors in a mating with Diego Velazquez.
Frankel having been at stud for twelve years to-date, analysing precedents to the lines he has worked best with is insightful. Frankel has produced over forty G1 winners and analysis of his best stock reveals that mares by (or carrying) stallions accessible in Australasia.
Frankel is by Galileo. Diego Velazquez’s dam Sweepstake had an affinity with this influence, producing two further Group winners (including G1 winner Broome) by another son of Galileo, Australia. SAXON WARRIOR is out of a Galileo mare, creating a 3m x 4f (sex balanced) cross to Galileo in a mating with Diego Velazquez. Saxon Warrior mares also carry ALZAO via his sire DEEP IMPACT. Frankel’s 7-time G1 winner Alpinista also carries Alzao up close.
Mares carrying GREEN DESERT have produced five G1 winners* by Frankel. He can be sourced in Australasia through such sires and descendants as INVINCIBLE SPIRIT and descendants I AM INVINCIBLE, BRAZEN BEAU, TASSORT, I AM IMMORTAL, KINGMAN, SHALAA, KHELEYF, ROYAL MEETING, TERRITORIES, CAPE CROSS and OASIS DREAM (sire of SHOWCASING and POWER). I Am Invincible’s son HELLBENT is inbred to Green Desert, giving him a double chance of picking up on this successful nick with Frankel.
DUBAWI and PIVOTAL are two other broodmare influences to have produced an impressive five G1 winners* by Frankel. Pivotal is sire of SIYOUNI, who has many daughters at stud in Australia. He is in turn, sire of ST MARK’S BASILICA, who also offers a daughter of Galileo to sex balance the son in Diego Velazquez. His future broodmares are very appealing for Diego Velazquez.
DUBAWI also has plenty of daughters here who will suit Diego Velazquez. Additionally, daughters of his sons GHAIYYATH and NIGHT OF THUNDER create a sex balanced duplication of Galileo with Diego Velazquez. Other sources of Dubawi in mares are via his sons TOO DARN HOT, POET’S VOICE, AKEED MOFEED and MAKFI.
* at time of writing
End of Report
Jane Henning 5 February ‘26